Making Your Own Soft Plastic Fishing Lures: A Beginner's Guide

Have you ever wanted to make your own fishing lures but didn't know where to start?

Making soft plastic lures is actually pretty simple once you understand the basics. You don't need a huge setup or years of experience. With a few basic materials, you can start making your own custom baits right at home.

What Do You Need?

To get started, you'll need a few basic things:

  • Plastisol

  • A lure mold

  • Color

  • Glitter

  • A thermometer

  • Something to heat the plastisol (Microwave  recommended)

  • A mixing container and stirrer

  • Safety glasses and heat-resistant gloves

  • Injector (if using an injection mold)

That's really all you need to make your first few baits.

What Is Plastisol?

Plastisol is the liquid material used to make soft plastic lures.

When it's heated, it turns into a liquid plastic that can be poured or injected into a mold. Once it cools, you have a finished soft plastic bait.

There are different types of plastisol, so make sure you follow the instructions for the specific plastic you're using. Most plastics require you at least 350 degrees.

Picking a Mold

For your first mold, keep it simple.

A basic worm or stick bait is a great place to start. These molds are easy to use and let you learn the process without making things too complicated.

Once you get comfortable, you can try craws, swimbaits, creature baits, Ned baits, and other designs.

Adding Color

One of the best parts of making your own lures is choosing the color.

You can start with simple colors like:

  • Green pumpkin

  • Watermelon

  • Black

  • White

  • Chartreuse

Once you get comfortable with basic colors, you can start mixing colors together to create your own custom colors.

Adding Glitter

Glitter is an easy way to make your bait stand out.

You can use small glitter for a subtle look or larger glitter for more flash. Holographic and other specialty glitters can also give your bait a completely different appearance.

For your first bait, try something simple like:

Green Pumpkin + Black Glitter

You can always experiment with different combinations later.

Making Your First Bait

Once you have everything ready, it's time to make your bait.

Start by measuring your plastisol and adding your color. Mix it well, then add your glitter.

Next, heat the plastisol according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use a thermometer so you know you're working at the proper temperature.

Once the plastic is ready, carefully pour or inject it into your mold.

Let the bait cool, remove it from the mold, and take a look at what you made.

That's it!

You just made your own fishing lure.

Don't Worry About Making It Perfect

Your first bait probably won't be perfect.

You might use too much color. You might add too much glitter. You might get a few bubbles or have a bait that doesn't look exactly how you imagined it.

That's completely normal.

The best way to get better at lure making is to keep practicing.

Try something different each time and see what happens.

Write Down Your Colors

If you make a color you really like, write down what you used.

You don't want to make an awesome color and then forget how you made it!

Keep track of:

  • Plastisol amount

  • Color

  • Glitter

  • Powders or other additives

This will make it much easier to recreate your favorite colors.

Start Small

You don't need to make a huge batch when you're testing a new color.

Start with a small amount.

If you like it, make more.

If you don't like it, change something and try again.

This saves material and lets you experiment without wasting a lot of money.

Have Fun With It

The best part about making your own lures is that there really aren't many limits.

You can make natural colors, bright colors, glittery colors, glowing colors, or completely crazy colors that you've never seen before.

You can even come up with your own names for your custom colors.

Don't worry about making everything perfect.

Experiment, learn, and most importantly, have fun.

Final Thoughts

Making soft plastic fishing lures is a fun hobby and a great way to create something that's completely your own.

Start with a simple mold, a basic color, and a little glitter. Learn the process and slowly add more materials as you get comfortable.

Before you know it, you'll have your own custom colors and baits ready to take fishing.

And there's nothing quite like catching a fish on a lure you made yourself.

Bad Bass Tackle Co, LLC — Make Something Different.